Senecio Serpens

Height:

Spread:

Flowers:

Foliage:

Greyish blue, cylindrical

Sunlight:

Full sun, partial shade, light shade

Soil:

Tolerates various types of well-drained soils

Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio serpens ou Curio ficoides)

This attractive, ground-hugging succulent plant is native to South Africa, specifically the Cape Floral Region, where it grows wild in the fynbos, a vegetal formation similar to the maquis in the Mediterranean region. This region, inscribed on UNESCO’s world heritage list, stretches along a narrow belt of coastal and mountainous terrain with soils that are nutrient poor, dry and often acidic. Despite the difficult and sometimes hostile climate of this region, the fynbos supports extraordinary plant biodiversity. In addition to numerous plants from the ericaceae family and spectacular proteas, the region is home to many species of pelargoniums, bulbous plants and succulents, such as aloes, crassulas, euphorbias and also the famous Blue Chalk Sticks.

Blue Chalk Sticks are grown mainly for their beautiful greyish blue cylindrical leaves. Towards the end of summer, this plant also produces curious little white button flowers. Blue Chalk Sticks require little care and grow under almost any conditions. They can be planted in the garden – in sandy, well-drained soil –, in containers, on roofs and even on walls! Drought tolerant, this plant can survive several weeks without water; perfect for gardeners who leave on summer vacations! Blue Chalk Sticks are ideal for use in container arrangements. They can be combined with other succulent plants to create unique and distinctive potted arrangements.

Ideally, Blue Chalk Sticks should be commercialized in containers with a minimum diameter of 10 cm. They can be easily propagated by stem cuttings.

The Natural Reserve Selection program exists thanks to the collaboration of the following institutions